Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith (23 December 1805-27 June 1844) was the founder of the religion of Mormonism and the publisher of the Book of Mormon. Smith attracted tens of thousands of followers with his beliefs in polygamy, the magic underwear, and golden plates before he was murdered in prison for his views.

Biography
Joseph Smith was born on 23 December 1805 in Sharon, Vermont, United States, but in 1817 his family moved to western New York, where the Second Great Awakening had begun. While there, he experienced a series of visions, including one where he saw God and Jesus and another where an angel named Moroni guided him to a book of golden plates that contained an ancient history of American civilization. Smith believed that it was his duty to restore the original Christian church, so he founded Mormonism. In 1831, Smith and his followers set up "Zion" in Independence, Missouri, and he sent out missionaries and published revelations to convert others to his religion. However, skirmishes with non-Mormon Missourians led to the Mormons relocating to Nauvoo, Illinois, and in 1844 he angered non-Mormons again by destroying a newspaper that criticized his belief in polygamy. He was jailed for his destruction of the newspaper, and on 27 June 1844 a mob of angry people stormed the jail and shot and killed Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith.